The present disclosure relates generally to communications between electronic devices and in particular to utilizing communication capabilities of proxy devices on behalf of proxied devices.
Electronic devices, such as computers, laptops, palmtops, mobile phones, smart phones, multimedia phones, portable media players, GPS units, mobile gaming systems, etc., have become quite popular. Many users carry a device almost everywhere they go. They also use their devices for a variety of purposes, including making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages and emails, navigation (e.g., using maps and/or a GPS receiver), purchasing items in stores (e.g., using contactless payment systems), and/or accessing the Internet (e.g., to look up information).
Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages. SMS has been one the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers in studies. Though most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, support for the service has expanded to include other mobile technologies, such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allows the exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length. The most popular use is to send photographs from camera-equipped handsets, although it is also popular as a method of delivering news and entertainment content including music, videos, pictures, web pages, and other digital purchases.
Oftentimes, a user purchases a device for its primary function, such as purchasing smart phone to make phone calls rather than purchasing a tablet to make phone calls. Thus, more frequently users own multiple devices. The devices that a user owns can have a variety of overlapping and non-overlapping purposes. One problem is that users find it frustrating to have to switch their focus from one device to another device in order to use some specific capability of the latter device that the former lacks. Furthermore, some devices may include the hardware capability, but use of the hardware is not enabled or restricted in some manner—either through hardware or software means.
Accordingly, what is desired is to solve problems relating to coordinating and handling the delivery of SMS/MMS messages originating from devices that lack the hardware or capability to send the SMS/MMS message using cellular networks to devices capable of send the messages over cellular networks, some of which may be discussed herein. Additionally, what is desired is to reduce drawbacks relating extending the functionality and accessibility of devices that lack the hardware or capability to send SMS/MMS messages using cellular networks, some of which may be discussed herein.